Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl (Printable Version)

Juicy spiced chicken meets charred street corn and fluffy rice, topped with tangy Tajín-lime crema.

# Ingredient List:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
04 - 1 teaspoon cumin
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ For the Street Corn

09 - 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 - 2 tablespoons sour cream
13 - 1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (or feta)
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
15 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
18 - 1 jalapeño, minced (optional)
19 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ For the Creamy Sauce

20 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
21 - 1/4 cup sour cream
22 - 2 tablespoons lime juice
23 - 1 teaspoon Tajín seasoning (or chili powder)
24 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
25 - Salt, to taste

→ For Serving

26 - 3 cups cooked rice (jasmine, brown, or cilantro-lime rice)
27 - Sliced avocado
28 - Fresh cilantro
29 - Lime wedges
30 - Additional Cotija cheese
31 - Tortilla chips (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Cook the rice according to package directions. For cilantro-lime rice, stir in chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice after cooking. Keep warm.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, Tajín seasoning, garlic powder, and salt for the creamy sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
03 - Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
04 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F). Remove to a plate, let rest 5 minutes, then slice or dice.
05 - In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes until charred and golden. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
06 - In a medium bowl, combine charred corn with mayonnaise, sour cream, Cotija cheese, lime juice, chili powder, cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño if using. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
07 - To assemble, divide rice among 4 bowls. Top each with sliced chicken and a generous scoop of the street corn mixture. Add sliced avocado, extra cilantro, and Cotija cheese. Drizzle with creamy sauce and serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips, if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything tastes better when corn is involved, especially when it is charred and coated in creamy lime situation
  • The seasoning blend on the chicken works on literally everything, you will want to put it on vegetables you do not even like
  • People think you spent hours making something restaurant quality when actually it is thirty minutes of honest work
02 -
  • The corn needs to actually char in the pan, do not rush this part because those little golden bits carry so much flavor
  • Letting the chicken rest is not optional, cutting into it immediately makes all the juices run onto the cutting board instead of staying inside where they belong
  • The sauce thickens up in the fridge, so you might need to splash in a tiny bit of water or lime juice to get it drizzleable again
03 -
  • Cast iron skillets give the best char on the corn, but any pan that gets hot will work perfectly fine
  • Rotisserie chicken from the store shreds up beautifully and saves you about fifteen minutes of cooking time
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